By Wes Annac, Openhearted Rebellion

I know you’re busy; you have a lot you want to accomplish and so little time to do it all. Maybe you have big dreams – dreams you can only bring about through ambitious, time-consuming goals. You might frequently tear your hair out, wondering how you could possibly achieve it all and worrying that your work will be in vain.

I hear you, and I’m right there with you. Life demands so much from us, and some days, it feels like we’re doing all this for nothing. Some days, you might hit a brick wall and become so discouraged that you need to step back and reevaluate what you’re doing with your limited time on this earth.

It would be so easy to cower in the corner, away from life’s incessant responsibilities that keep you too busy to enjoy the present. For a few moments, however, you should take some time – not to hide from your life, but to center yourself in this moment.

Life is a gift, but it may scarcely feel like it if you’re constantly working and consistently anxious. Take time, here and now, to appreciate that you are alive, contributing to this bizarre culture. Take time to appreciate that we are all connected in an age so technologically advanced that it would make our ancestors’ heads spin.

Take time to appreciate the planet and the incredible sights nature gives us. Appreciate the little things, like the sun you see shining when you step out of your home. This is a gift we too often take for granted. Appreciate the birds chirping, the flowers pointing up to the sun, and the bugs chanting in the evening. Appreciate the living, breathing ecosystem we are a part of, and consider that the planet itself is alive.

Take time to create. It doesn’t matter what you make – only that you make something. Don’t let anyone belittle your creativity, no matter what form it takes. Write a blog post, paint; make music; record a gaming clip; there are so many possibilities. Be proud of what you make; so many people are too afraid of ridicule to make anything at all.

Take time for a few deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Let this anchor you into a deep sense of peace and wellbeing. You deserve to feel at peace, but you must make time to cultivate it.

The pressures of life can often leave you feeling like there is no relief in sight. You might feel like you have no time to devote to activities that can provide relief for the body and mind. Your life should never be too busy for you to devote a few minutes a day to stillness or purposeful movement, as they both are crucial for a well-functioning mind and a body that won’t give up on you.

So, please, take some time for yourself. Life is hardly worth living if you waste it working away in a state of hurried anxiety. There is a greater peace to be found, and within that, a joy and love for life that so many people miss.

Featured image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay